Report: Knicks' Rose seeking max contract this summer

The NBA's rising - and extremely generous - salary cap has plenty of players seeing green as they look to cash in with enormous deals.

Current New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose is no different, and when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, he'll seek out a big payday just like everyone else who's eligible.

Those close to the former league MVP told friends that he will be looking to ink a max contract, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. For Rose, that would mean landing a five-year, $150-million contract.

New York will be strapped for cash, so if Rose wants to stick around in the Big Apple, he'd essentially have to take up whatever cap space the franchise had left, which is a lot to ask for an athlete carrying his fair share of baggage.

Related - Rose: I wouldn't be playing if I didn't feel right

Outside of his long-winded injury history, Rose's desire to continue playing basketball has recently been brought into question following his absence during New York's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. While he appears to be back on the same page with the Knicks after heading home to Chicago for what he called a family emergency without informing the team, the foundation of their working relationship can't be as strong as it once was.

His numbers of 17.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds on 44.3 percent shooting in 31.9 minutes per game aren't terrible, but they don't necessarily scream "max contract."